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Graveside services were held at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14, 2019, at Moncrief Cemetery in Gardendale for Donna Otzenberger Gipson, 69, of Greenville, formerly of Gardendale, who passed away peacefully at home surrounded by her family on Thursday, Dec. 12. Pastor Eric Jackson officiated. Visitation was held from 10:30 a.m. until noon on Saturday, Dec. 14, at The New Gardendale Funeral Home.

Donna was born in Springfield, Ill., on June 20, 1950, and was raised in St. Louis, Mo. She moved to Alabama with her sister, Vicki, in the 1970s. She retired from AmSouth Bank after more than 20 years and later managed the Shoe Dept. in Gardendale where she befriended hundreds over the next decade.

Family and friends best knew Donna for her compassion for others no matter their circumstances; her love for the holidays, cooking and spending time with extended family and her green thumb — her ability to grow or save any flower or plant. Everyone who met Donna was touched by her positive view on life and infectious laugh. She enjoyed spending time with her daughters, beloved sons-in-law and five grandchildren most.

Her parents, Joseph and Charlotte Otzenberger, and
siblings, Victoria “Vicki” Teal, Joseph Otzenberger, Barbara Kiesler and Linda Mayer, preceded Donna in death.

Survivors include her daughters, Jennifer Gipson Prestridge and her husband, Adam, of Greenville, and Amanda Gipson Voss and her husband, Ryan, of Warrior; father of her children, Kenneth Gipson of Morris; grandchildren, Ethan and Logan Prestridge, both of Greenville, and Rhett, Maxton and Ada Lane Voss, all of Warrior; brother, Ron Thomas of Harrison, Ohio, and a host of nieces and nephews that she loved as her own. She also leaves behind her beloved K-9 companion, Sadie Belle.

Pallbearers were her nephews Carson Dabbs, Tyler Pelkey, A.J. Irwin, Charlie Harbison, Kenneth Dean and Austin Childers. Honorary pallbearers were nephews Micah Dean and Joseph Childers.

The family would like to offer a special thank you to the loving staff at Southern Care Hospice of Greenville for their tender care over the last eight months.

For online condolences, please visit www.thenewgardendalefuneralhome.com/obituaries 

The New Gardendale Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements with assistance from Dunklin & Daniels Funeral Home.